Cutting machine



Aug; 8, 1933. F. J. CLARK 1,921,249

CUTTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Mw wr/DMW F. J. CLARK CUTTING MACHINE Aug. 8, 1 933.

Filed Feb. 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MW rmwh iatented ug. S, 1933 UNTE@ STATEES lZili cargar orgies CUTTENG MCHENE pplication February 25, 1931. No. 538,166

10 Claims.

This invention relates to cutting machines and, more particularly, to machines which are intended for cutting up cloth articles, and for severing buttons or other attached objects from the articles, and comprises a rotary knife, and a stationary frame on which the knife is mounted and which is provided with means for supporting or guiding the work to the knife. Such machines are used, for example, for cutting up old garments and severing therefrom the buttons or other attached fasteners or devices.

One object of the invention is to provide a practical and desirable machine of simple and improved construction by means of which articles,

l5 such as old garments, bags, and the like, can be easily cut up to make wiping cloths, or pieces for other uses, and to remove seamed or other portions of the articles, and to sever buttons, fasteners or other objects from the articles.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a double machine of this sort having two knives mounted at the outer ends of oppositely extending supporting arms, in which the parts are arranged to produce a well balanced, sturdy machine and in which the two knives are located in the most convenient positions to enable two operators to use the machine simultaneously; also to provide a double knife machine in which the knife supporting arms project in opposite directions from the opposite ends of a single driving motor for the knives; also to construct the machine with detachable, interchangeable, knife supporting arms; also to construct the knife supporting arm so that it forms a guard or housing for the knife-driving mechanism; also to adjustably arrange the knife-supporting arm so that the knife-driving belt can be properly tensioned, by the adjustment of the knife-supporting arm itself; also to provide the machine with an adjustable work guide which enables the material to be properly presented to the knife, either for cutting up the material or for severing buttons, or the like, from the material; and also to improve machines of the sort mentioned, in other respects, hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a double knife cutting machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the removable knife housing section and the work-holder.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, enlarged, of the stationary section of the knife housing and the knife, the removable housing section having been removed therefrom.

Fig. fi is a similar View of the knife housing, and

(Cl. 16e- 60) illustrating the manner in which the cloth is presented to the knife for cutting the cloth.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the inner ends of the knife-supporting arm and showing the hand-hole in open position. y

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan-View of the workholder orY guide, on an enlarged scale, on line 5 6, Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan View of the outer end of the knife housing.

Fig. 8 is a plan View of the machine, showing one of the knife-supporting arms in place, and the other removed.

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan View through the knife housing on an enlarged scale, on line 9 9, Fig. 1. 70

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional elevation through one of theknife-supporting arms.

ll represents the stationary stand or supporting frame of the machine, on which a knifedriving motor-12 is mounted; and 13 represents 75 a knife-supporting arm, which is secured Yon the stand 11, at one end of the motor, and projects horizontally outwardly from the stand, so that the knife, which is mounted on the outer portion of this arm, is located at a distance from the 0 stand to enable the work to be readily presented to the knife. The machine may be equipped with either one or two such vknife-supporting arms 13. As illustrated, it has two of the arms extending in opposite directions, or one forwardly and the other rearwardly from the stand. YPreferably, the stand is provided with a flat top or table 14 on which the motor 12 is mounted centrally, and one arm 13 is secured on the top 14 at one end of the motor, while the other arm is secured on the top 14 atkthe opposite end of the motor, the top 14 having portions which project outwardly beyond opposite ends of the motor base, and on each of which portions one of the arms 13 is adjustably secured, as by means of screws l5, which pass through elongated longitudinal slots 16 in the top 14 and are screwed into threaded holes in the bottom of theinner end of the arm 13. The securing screws l5 are adapted to be shifted and secured in different positions in the slots 16 for adjusting the arm 13 inwardly or outwardly on the stand, as may be necessary for properly tensioning the knife-driving belt as hereinafter explained. The table top 14 is preferably provided with shoulders 17 against which the base portions of the arms bear at opposite sides, and which cooperate With the securing screws for holding the arms rigidly in adjusted positions on the stand. 1l

The two knife-supporting arms 13 and the parts carried thereby are alike, and one only will be described in detail. The arm is preferably hollow and is provided at the inner side of its inner end with an opening 18, through which the armature shaft 19 of the electric motor 12 extends into the hollow arm 13. A rotary disk knife, or cutter 20 is journaled in the outer end of the arm 13 within a housing or casing, which, for convenience, is made as a separate part attached to the main body of the arm. 'Ihis knife casing preferably comprises a stationary section which is rigidly secured, as by screws 21, to the outer end of the arm body 13, and forms, in effect, a forward extension thereof, and a removable section which is releasably secured to the stationary section and, together therewith, forms an enclosing housing for the knife 20. The stationary section of the casing has an upright wall 22 at one side, and an opposite parallel upright wall 23 at the lower portion of its opposite side. The forward portions of these upright walls 22 and 23 are connected by an outwardly extending portion 25 which forms a worksupport on which the material is adapted to rest when it is being presented to the knife. The removable section of the knife casing comprises an upright side wall or plate 26 which is located at the same side of the knife as and above the wall 23 of the stationary section of the casing, and an outer end wall 27 which extends from the side wall 26 transversely in front of the knife to the upright wall 22 of the stationary section of the casing; and the removable section of the casing has also a transverse top wall 28 which extends inwardly from the end wall 27 over the upper portion of the knife. The outer portion of the removable section overhangs and is spaced upwardly from the work-support 25, thus leaving a gap or mouth through which the material can be moved into cutting relation to the knife, the front edge of which projects into this gap.

The removable section may be detachably secured to the stationary section in any suitable way, as, for instance, by slots 29 at the inner end of the upright wall 26, adapted to straddle screws 30, screwed into the stationary section of the casing, and a screw 31 at the opposite side of the forward end of the removable section adapted to enter a slot 32 in the outer end of the side wall 22 of the stationary section, and be secured therein by a thumb nut 33 on said screw 31. By loosening the screws 30 and nut 33 the removable section can be readily detached, eX- posing the knife, which is journaled on the stationary section. When the removable section is in place, the knife is effectively housed, so as to prevent injury to the person using the machine. The knife may be rotatably mounted in the casing in any suitable manner. For instance, the knife is secured as by a nut 35 on the threaded hub of a pulley 36, which is rotatably mounted on a suitable bearing (not shown) on a stud axle 37, having a screw threaded stem secured by a nut 38 in a hole 39, in the side Wall 22 of the casing. The pulley 36 is connected by a belt 40 to a pulley 41 secured on the armature shaft 19 of the motor, within the inner end of the hollow arm 13. The hollow arm 13 is provided in its bottom with an opening 42 and in its outer side, opposite the pulley 41, with Va hand-hole 43. These openings 42 and 43 and the removable section of the knife casing, permit the belt to be readily placed in position on, and removed from, the pulleys 36 and 41. The hand-hole 43 is preferably closed by a movable cover-plate 44, which may be suitably pivoted at 45 and provided with a slot or hook adapted to engage over a screw 46, by tightening which, the cover plate can be releasably secured in its closed position.

As before explained, the arm 13 is longitudinally adjustable on the table top 14, so that by adjusting the arm inwardly or outwardly on the table top, the belt 40 can be tensioned as may be required to properly drive the knife 20.

50 represents a work-holder, or guide, for the material being cut. This device, which is arranged over the work-holder 25 within the mouth of the knife casing, is provided with an upright shank 51, which is slidable vertically in a Way 52 in the outer end of the removable section of the knife casing, and is adapted to be secured in vertically adjusted positions by a thumb screw 53 extending through a vertical slot 54 in the end wall of the knife casing into a threaded hole in the shank 51. The work-holder is thus adapted to be adjusted vertically and secured at different distances above the work-support 25 as may be most suitable to accommodate different thicknesses of cloth or material, and to properly hold the same down on the work-support 25. The work-holder is provided with a bifurcated inner end which straddles the front edge of the knife, thus providing an effective knife guard. In addition, the work-holder is provided with a transverse slot 55 extending inwardly from outer end of the work-holder and the walls in which this slot 55 is formed are reduced in thickness, or the edges of the slot 55 are beveled, so that the holder is comparatively thin transversely at the Vslot 55, thus enabling the threads connecting a button, or other fastener, or the like, to a piece of cloth to be readily inserted in the slot and moved into contact with the edge of the knife for severing the button, fastener, or the like, from the cloth.

W hen the machine is not being used for severing buttons, or the like, from the material, the work-holder can be, if desired, adjusted up within the knife casing and there secured in an elevated position where it is out of the way and does not interfere with the presentation of a stack or thick bunch of material to the cutter.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a cutting machine, the combination of a motor, supporting arms projecting in opposite directions from opposite ends of said motor, a knife mounted at the outer portion of each of said arms, and drive connections from one of said ends of the motor to one of said knives and from the opposite end of the motor to said other knife.

2. In a cutting machine, the combination of a motor, supporting arms projecting in opposite directions from opposite ends of said motor, a knife mounted at the outer portion of each of said arms, and drive connections from opposite ends of said motor to said knives, the drive connections for each knife being housed within the supporting arm for said knife.

3. In a cutting machine the combination of a motor, hollow supporting arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said motor, said motor having a drive shaft entering each of said hollow arms, a knife housed within the outer portion of each of said arms, and drive connections housed Within each of said arms and operatively connecting the knife in said arm with the drive shaft.

4. In a cutting machine the combination of a motor, hollow supporting arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said motor, a pulley in each of said arms driven by said motor, a knife journaled and housed within the outer portion of each arm, a pulley connected to said knife, and a drive belt housed within each arm and operatively connecting the knife and motor pulleys in said arm.

5. In a cutting machine the combination of a motor, hollow knife-supporting arms extending in opposite directions from opposite ends of said motor, said motor having a drive shaft entering each of said hollow arms, a knife housed and mounted within the outer portion of each of said arms, a belt housed within each of said arms and operatively connecting said motor to the knife in said arm, said arms being adjustable in the direction of their length for tensioning said belts.

6. In a cutting machine the combination of a motor, a hollow knife-supporting arm projecting outwardly from one end of said motor, a knife housed and mounted within the outer portion of said supporting arm, and a drive belt housed within said supporting arm and operatively connecting said knife with said motor.

7. In a cutting machine the combination of a motor, a hollow knife-supporting arm projecting outwardly from one end of said motor, a knife housed and mounted within the outei` portion of said supporting arm, and a drive belt housed within said supporting arm and operatively connecting said knife with said motor, said arm being adjustable in the direction of its length for tensioning said belt.

8. In a cutting machine the combination of a hollow knife-supporting arm, a motor arranged at one side of the inner end of said arm and having a drive shaft entering said arm, a knife housed within the outer portion of said arm, drive connections between said motor shaft and said knife housed within said hollow arm, said arm having a side opening opposite said motor shaft and a bottom opening whereby access is afforded to said drive connections.

9. In a cutting machine' the combination of a hollow knife-supporting arm, a motor arranged at one side of the inner end of said arm and having a drive shaft entering said arm, a knife housed within the outer portion of said arm, pulleys connected to said motor shaft and to said knife within said hollow arm, and a belt connecting said pulleys, said arm having a side opening opposite said motor pulley, and a bottom opening whereby access is afforded to said belt for engaging it with and disengaging it from said pulleys.

l0. In a cutting machine the combination of a hollow knife-supporting arm, a motor arranged at one side of the inner end of said arm and having a drive shaft entering said arm, a knife housed Within the outer portion of said arm, pulleys connected to said motor shaft and to said knife within said hollow arm, and a belt connecting said pulleys, said arm having a side opening opposite said motor pulley, a bottom opening whereby access is afforded to said belt for engaging it with and disengaging it from said pulleys, and a movable cover plate for the side opening in said arm.

FREDERICK J. CLARK. 

